Rick who? 

Tom with Rick outside St. Edward’s Church in Stow-on-the-Wold

Anyone reading this post who is from outside of North America can be forgiven for not having a clue who the chap mentioned in our title is…. but we’re pretty sure that if you’re from the USA, or perhaps from Canada, you will know exactly who we’re talking about!

Rick Steves is an American travel writer and broadcaster who has written a series of travel guide books about Europe – they’re as popular in the USA as the Rough Guides or Lonely Planet guide books are here in the UK. He also presents the popular and long-running travel show Rick Steves’ Europe on American TV. On Saturday 6th July, Tom got to be his personal guide to the Cotswolds!

Go Cotswolds: recommended by Rick Steves!

We’re on page 356! 🙂

Last year we were thrilled to find out that one of our American customers had discovered our Cotswolds Day Tour because we had been mentioned in Rick Steves’ Great Britain. 

At that time, Rick had not been on a tour with us himself, but we were included in the guide thanks to our wonderful customers who had given Go Cotswolds high praise on Rick Steves’ website forum. 

Researcher visit

Earlier this year, we were delighted to be contacted by a researcher from Rick’s team. She joined us on a Cotswolds Day Tour back in June and gave us some wonderful feedback: 

Thank you so very much for letting me join your tour! I thoroughly enjoyed it and can see why our readers have been recommending you to us. 

We’ve already seen the draft copy for our updated listing in the forthcoming new edition of the guidebook, and we can’t wait until it is published! 

A private tour with Rick Steves

Then, last Saturday (6th July), we met Rick Steves himself and took him on a private tour of the Cotswolds. Rick wanted to re-visit, first hand, some of the other locations and attractions mentioned in his guide book, and he needed an expert local guide. Step in Tom! 

Together, Tom and Rick explored the Cotswold villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter, and the towns of Northleach and Stow-on-the-Wold. They even stopped for a delicious cream tea at The Old Bakery Tea Room in Stow-on-the-Wold. During the day, Rick was recognised and stopped in the street by several American tourists – he really is quite a celebrity and it was an absolute pleasure and honour to meet him!